moon_guardfandomcom-20200213-history
Truth
|Terms = *Archaic Common **Nathyr *Abbendite *Saidanite|Holy_Sites = *Scarlet Monastery|Contemporary_Movements = * * |Clergy = *The Prelacy}}Truth is the iteration of worship of the Holy Light as practiced by the followers of the Codex of Flame. It is characterized by deification of the Light and pan-humanism, as well as a very strong millenarianist[1] character. Background Truth is an outgrowth of the divide in the Scarlet Crusade between two main factions: those that tended towards militarism and nationalism, and those that tended towards religious fanaticism. Termed ''Abbendites'' and [[Saidanite|''Saidanites ]] respectively by the Truthful, they highlight doctrinal differences between the High General and Grand Crusader during the height of the Scarlet Crusade, and the growing tensions between the two. Truth is the perspective of the Saidanite faction, with the emphasis being more on faith and idealism than pragmatism, generally speaking. Principles Unlike the orthodox church, there are not a firm ‘three virtues’ adhered to and codified, but in comparison or perhaps as a tool to teach converts the new religion, the unofficial virtues of ‘Bravery, Sacrifice and Devotion’ are often espoused. Differences The Light is heavily deified in Truth, and its temperament is quite different as well. In both the Codex as well as the dominating school of thought among clerics of Truth, the Light is described as very vengeful, angry, controlling and often times quite cruel. Unlike the typical variety of Light worship practiced by humans, where religion is often of tertiary importance, Truth is an all-encompassing way of life for its adherents, dictating things from mundane as facial hair to all of their civil law. Core Beliefs * '''Monotheism:' Although the keepers (titans) and spirits are acknowledged, they are regarded as servants of the Light. In Truth, only the Light itself is to be worshipped. * Good and Evil: '''The world view in Truth is very much black and white; there are those aligned with the Light, and those aligned with Sargeras. There is no gray area. * '''Sacred Texts: '''The Codex of Flame and the four books within are considered sacred and completely moral. Truthful seek to follow these to the letter. * '''Predestination: A core tenet of Truth is the belief in ordained fate, and the impossibility of avoiding it. Concepts * Perpetual Crusade: Very much influenced by Truth, the concept of Perpetual Crusade is a fundamental principle of the religion and reinforced by the text of the Codex of Flame. * Apostasy: 'In Truth, apostasy is often punished by death. Given the draconian text and its literalist followers, most of Azeroth's population are deemed apostates if not outright ''nathyr, ''or disbelievers. '' * '''Human Unity: '''The sanctity of humanity is a reoccurring theme in Truth, as humanity was created for a special purpose by Tyr for the Light: to battle Sargeras indefinitely. Theology Truth, while having many similarities with the traditional Church of the Holy Light, also deviates in many ways. The following attempts to achieve a core outline of beliefs within Truth and the basic theology of Truth. * '''The Holy Light: The Holy Light is the center of creation, and the center of all of existence, in both figurative and literal terms. * The Titans: The titans, or keepers as they are called, work as celestial agents on behalf of the Holy Light. The titans were created by the Holy Light with the purpose to create for themselves in turn. ** Sargeras: Sargeras is viewed as a rebellious keeper who spurned the Holy Light and created the forces of demonry. ** Tyr: '''Tyr is the foremost keeper of the Holy Light, and was tasked by the Holy Light to create a force of righteousness for which to battle Sargeras with. Thus, humanity was created. * '''Humanity: Humans were created by Tyr for the purpose of battling the forces of Sargeras on behalf of the Holy Light. ** Humans were imbued with original knowledge of Truth, but this was lost over time due to Tyr giving man free will. ** Vrykul are viewed as the accursed offshoots of humanity, as opposed to what is commonly accepted outside of Truth. ** Non-humans: The official stance of the sentient non-human races is that they are capable of choosing their own destinies, and may serve the Light or Sargeras. However, due to the nature of the Scarlet Crusade, latent racial prejudice is present. * Dathrohan: While the nature of his receiving of the Codex of Flame is ambiguous at best, Dathrohan is viewed as a divinely inspired and chosen man. Proponents seek to emulate his example through the Precepts of Dathrohan. Holy Texts The practice of Truth is dictated mainly by one text, namely the Codex of Flame. Revealed after the death of the late Grand Crusader, Saidan Dathrohan, it is presumed to be of divine origin, or at least divine inspiration, a matter of some contention among clerics and paladins who practice it. There are also supplementary texts such as "The Precepts of Dathrohan", or more commonly referred to as simply "The Precepts", is a collection of observations and accounts from individuals who knew Dathrohan, some closely and some not so closely, about his opinions and wisdom on certain issues and topics. The book was compiled after his death, the supposed importance of Dathrohan only fully realized after his death, and indeed the entirety of the religion only forming after it as well. The Law of Flame The Law of Flame is a legal code derived mainly from the Codex of Flame, a book of supposedly divine origin according to its adherents, discovered after the death of Saidan Dathrohan, then the Grand Crusader of the Scarlet Crusade. The Law of Flame is the official legal code of the pariah quasi-state known as the ‘Kingdom of the Light’. Tenets The Law of Flame, while not having officially written virtues like the well known “three virtues” of the Orthodox Church, has two sets of unofficial virtues sometimes espoused by its proponents, modelled after the three virtues; the first set being “bravery, sacrifice, and devotion” and the other being “might, wisdom and justice”. The Law of Flame incorporates the highly aggressive nature of the codex it is derived from, with much of the legal code focused on conduct in war and policies in regards to justifying it in accordance with the text. The law also dictates things as mundane as facial hair and cleanliness, very much all-encompassing in the daily life of its oft-fanatical adherents. While mostly derived from the Codex of Flame, the law has a secondary source of conduct, that being the smaller tome known as the "Precepts of Dathrohan", which is a compendium of hundreds of accounts, mostly first hand, of the Grand Crusader's opinions and views on various topics. Given that the Codex was supposedly found on his corpse, and that the Codex is believed to be sacred by its proponents, most of the believers of Truth also believe Dathrohan too to be divine, or at least divinely chosen. LawofFlameSmaller.png Category:Religion Category:Church of the Holy Light Category:Army of the Truthful Category:Scarlet Crusade